Madruga on life in China

Guilherme Madruga, winner of the 2023 FIFA Puskás Award, joined Shandong Taishan in 2025 and has now been with the club for more than a year. This season, his performances have become increasingly consistent, making him an indispensable starter for the team. The 25-year-old midfielder recently gave an interview to Brazilian media, speaking about his experiences in China.

“In Brazil, players generally seem to be better prepared. In China, there are also many excellent players. But I think that in Brazil, because the players are both highly skilled and physically strong, the matches ultimately become more competitive and technical. However, the level of football in China is also very high, and that surprised me.”

“I bought a video game console here (laughs). I really enjoy career mode in games. Today, I even finished Red Dead Redemption. I also like going out to eat and exploring new places. Some of the other players even joke that I’m always online on my phone, because I’m constantly talking with family and friends, trying to maintain those connections even though we’re thousands of miles apart.”

In 2023, Madruga won the Puskás Award thanks to an overhead kick goal he scored while playing for Botafogo-SP. Recalling the award ceremony, Madruga said:

“It felt unreal. At the time, I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was very anxious because I didn’t know when they were going to announce the result, or whether I would actually win. I even wanted to go to the bathroom, but I was worried about getting my clothes dirty (laughs), so I had to hold myself together.”